Only after a long silence did Angel slowly speak:
"He may be trying to sow discord."
As the de facto administrator of Partis, the "Dream City," the Amon avatar who had merged with part of Goredolf Trunsoest's soul and consciousness had always behaved himself. Not only did he keep a city of over a hundred thousand people running smoothly, he also served as a researcher for several Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts and a jailer for the Outer Deities' followers. From time to time, he even answered Angel's various questions. At least for now, his credibility was passable.
But even if Zarathus had only made an offhand remark, it inevitably planted a seed of doubt in both their minds:
Was Gerdruff Amon merely pretending to behave himself? After the Ghost Empire manifested in the Physical World, became the present Island City, and began accepting outsiders, he had countless ways to circumvent the city's laws, communicate with the outside world, and contact his main body. His Worm of Time might even have already been replaced, turning him into his main body's puppet.
Fortunately, Angel and Klein had taken precautions against this from the start and had never revealed their true secrets to him. To prevent Amon's main body from descending, Klein had barely even entered the city.
The problem was that, even with their suspicions, neither of them had a way to verify them.
"If Pallez, the 'old man' parasitizing Leonard, were still a Sequence 1 Worm of Time, he might be able to determine from certain details whether Amon's avatar possesses an independent consciousness inclined toward goodness. But now his characteristic has been taken away, leaving him with only Sequence 2 strength. He can barely protect himself..."
Klein kept tapping his fingers against the long bronze table as he spoke thoughtfully.